Garment-hanger.



No. 680,356. Patented Aug. I3, I90I. A. B. PRITCHETTE.

GABMENT HANGER.

(Application filed Sept. 25, 1900.)

(no Model.) A

WTNESSES:

lIo

EEICE.

PATENT ANDREW BROOKS PEIToHETfrE, vOE ELIZABETH, NEW JERSEY.

GARM ENT-HANGER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 680,356, dated August 13, 1901.

Application iiled September 25, 1900. Serial No. 31,038. (No model.)

T0 a/ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ANDREW BROOKS Parr- CHETTE, a citizen of the `United States of America, residing at Elizabeth, in thecounty of Union and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garment-Hangers, of which the following is a specification. y

My invention has for its object to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efficient device adapted to suspend mens or womens garmentssuch as coats, vests, trousers, jackets, cloaks, and skirts-and keep them in smooth and good condition.

The invention will first be described and then will be particularly defined in claims hereinafter set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, Figure l is a perspective view of the main garment-hanger with a skirt held in its two clasps and also shows how an auxiliary smaller hanger device may be combined with the main hanger and in the same space. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved hanger in folded condition and with the clasps removed, and Fig. 3 is an endK View of the hanger having a modified form of lateral support for its hinged folding arms.

In its preferred form the hanger comprises two hinged main arms a b, a sus ension device c, and two suitable clasps d which are preferably self-closing spring-clasps and may slide on the arms o, b to accommodate the size,

of the garment to be held by the clasps. I prefer to provide these clasps with two hooks e e, whereby they are supported adjustably and removably on the main arms, 'as shown in Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings. Each part a b c is preferably made from one piece of elastic Wire. The bends of arms ct b are preferably bulged forward at f, next the front of a coat or waist to be hung over the arms, and the suspension device c is bulged'or bent forward at g to give room for the garment-collar.

In making the arm 'a I bend its opposite sides near each end to form opposite eyes h, to which are hinged the end loops 21 of the arm b. From these hinges the sides of arm ct extend at j, and at the ends of parts j are formed loops 7c, which are open at-the top at Z and preferably at the center to allow opposite sides of the other arm b to enter the loops from a closet or other rod n, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. Below hook m the wire strands are openedy to form a loop o, permitting suspension of the hanger from a hook or nail p. The wire strands then are twisted together to form the main portion, having the forwardlybent collar-receivin g part g above mentioned. Below part g the strands are separated and, as in Fig. 1, are bent upon themselves to the front and rear to form two loops r r, each of which receives the hinge-eye h of one side of the han ger-arm ct. Where loops r fr meet, one of the wire strands after being carried around the twist of the wire is extended downward to form a hook s. Upon this hook s may be supported a smaller auxiliary wire hanger t, having end clasps it u, from which a skirt or other garment o may be hung in front of another garment, w, hanging from the clasps d d of the main hanger device and entirely within the space occupied by the main hanger.

Instead of using the two loops rr I may bend the wire strands to form one open loop 0o, as shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. Either the two loops r r or the single loop a; make a lateral support on which the hinges h t' of the arms d b may slide toward or from each other. The two loops r r (shown in Figs. 1 and 2) are preferred, because they permit direct support of the hook sy from the stronger twisted body portion of the suspension device c and also strengthen the lateral support to sustain at the arm-hinges h t'. any heavy garment or garments.

Fig. 1 of the drawings shows how the unfolded hanger sustains the garment w by the clasps CZ d, which may slide away from each other down the sloping arms a b to stretch the garment between them, while it is stretched vertically by its own weight. The sides of hanger-arm b normally rest ou the bottoms of the loops 7c of the arm ct and normally and elastically lock under the inner ends of said loops to prevent accidental folding upward of the arms during adjustment of a garment to and over these arms. ing the sides of arm b, thus sustain the weight IOO The loops k, receivof the garments, and said loops also maintain parallelism of those portions of both arms on -which the clasps d d are adapted to slide.

To remove the garment fw, it is only necessary to press the opposite' sides of arms a b toward each other at the hinges 7i i, which can be done by one hand while the other hand holds the garment. This pressing movement instantly opens both clasps CZ d at once to release the garment, which thus may be removed Without disturbing a coat or vest or waist which may be hung from and over the main arms a t in the usual manner and which it is not thought necessary to illustrate. A garment may as easily be replaced in the clasps without removing the coat or waist. As the arm-hinges 7L 7l are pressed toward each other for opening the clasps d the sides of arm b will pass along the loops k of the arm o, and will lock under the opposite or outer ends of said loops as the clasps open.

and as clearly indicated by the dotted lines in Fig.- 3 of the drawings.

To fold the hanger, the clasps d will be removed fromthe arms a ZJ, and the sides of arm b will be slipped upward through the openings Z of the loops 7a, and both arms a b then may be folded fiat as also may be the suspension device c, all as shown in Fig 2 of the drawings. The hanger thus folded may be packed in `very small space in a drawer or trunk or traveling-bag,- and it requires but a few moments to unfold and readju'st the de; vice for service, as shown in Fig'. l of the drawings.

Any suitable laterally-'extending rod or other support may be used on the suspension device c instead of the lateral loops r' r or provided this lateral support sustains the opposite sides of the two hanger-arms, so as to permit the abovedescribed adjustment of them relatively to each other,- andv has end stops preventing slipping of the arms from it. I prefer to use the loop form of lateral support, because it makes a very simple and strong pivot for the arm-hinges hi while permitting me to provide, preferablyin one piece, a main Asuspension device c, having a hook s pendent from the loop-support and adapted to sustain the auxiliary hanger t tt', as above described.` According to that part of my invenition relating to the clasps,iit is immaterial whether the hanger have two hinged arms, as herein described, or have but one cross-head made with oppositesides receiving the clasps and permittingopening of them by pressing said opposite sides toward each other.

I claim as my inventionj l. A 'garmenthanger comprising a suspension device having a lateral loop formation, two folding arms hinged together 'and sustained at their hinge by said laterally-looped portion of the suspension device for adjustment of opposite sides of said arms relatively to each other, and means supporting one unfolded arm from the other arm, substantially as described.

2. A garment-hanger comprising a suspension device having a lateral support, two folding arms hinged together and sustained by said support for adjustment of their opposite sides relatively to each other; one of said arms having side extensions forming rests for the sides of the other unfolded arm, substantially as described.

3. A garment-hanger comprising a suspension device havinga lateral support, two folding arms hinged together and rsustained by said support for adjustment of their opposite sides relatively to each other; one of said arms having side 'extensions provided with open loop-rests supportngand normally overlocking the sides Aot' the other unfolded arm, substantially as described.

4. A garment-hanger comprising a suspension device having a lateral support, two folding arms hinged together andsustained by said support for adjustment of their opposite sides relatively to each other; one of said arms having two side extensions provided with 10op-rests having openings at their top central portions and supporting the sides of the other unfolded arm and adapted toeverlock said arm at opposite ends of the looprests, substantially as described.

5. A garment-hanger comprising a suspension device having a lateral support, oppo sitely-extending arms on said support having opposite sides adjustable thereon relatively to each other, and clasps adapted to the arms and openable by pressing opposite sides of the arms toward each other, substantially as described.

6. A garment-hanger comprising a suspension device having a lateral support, oppositely-extending arms on said support having i opposite sides adjustable thereon relatively to each other, and clasps adapted to the arms and adjustable thereon toward and from each other and openable by pressing opposite sides of the arms toward each other, substantially as described.

7. A garment-hanger comprising a suspenL sion device having a lateral support, oppo-A and clasps adapted one to the `opposite sides 5 of each arm and openable by pressing opposite sides of the arms toward each other, substantially as described. y, Y,

8. In a garmentLhanger, the eombination of a suspension device having a lateral loopsupport, and two arms a, b, having eyes hinging them together and sustaining them from said support; one arm having extensions provided with loops c, sustaining the other unfolded arm, substantially as described.

9v. In a garment-hanger, the combination of a suspension device having a lateral loopsupport, two arms a, b, having eyes hinging them together and sustaining them from said support; one arm having extensions provided 1l. A garment-hanger comprising a suspension device having a lateral loop formation and a loop or hook both above and below said looped portion, tWo folding arms hinged together and sustained at their hinge by said laterally-looped portion of the suspension device for adjustment of opposite sides of said arms relatively to each other, andjmeans supporting one unfolded arm from the other armi substantially as described.

ANDREW BROOKS PRITCHETTE. Witnesses:

JNO. W. FERRY, J. GALLWITZ; 

